1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio/video stream intermediating between different kinds of networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for intermediating an audio/video (A/V) stream between a data network and an IEEE 1394 network in which an A/V stream of an IP network is provided to a device connected to the IEEE 1394 network in real time, or the A/V stream of the IP network is stored and provided to the device connected to the IEEE 1394 network when a viewer desires to view the A/V stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an A/V network is classified into an IP-based data network and an IEEE 1394 network, which is a non-IP network. A device that uses an IP-based data network may be a computer. A device that uses the IEEE1394 network may be a digital television receiver or a digital camcorder.
The IEEE 1394 network has a data transfer rate of 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, and 400 Mbps, and guarantees a quality of service (QoS). However, file formats supported in the IEEE 1394 network are limited. A representative file format supported in the IEEE 1394 network is an MPEG-2 transport stream. By contrast, the IP-based data network has the disadvantage that it has a data transfer rate lower than that of the IEEE 1394 network, and cannot guarantee the QoS. The data network, however, has the advantage that it can support diverse kinds of transmission stream formats and codecs, transmission protocols, and transmission control protocols.
Recently, with the trend of integrating a data network and an IEEE 1394 network, the Applicant has filed Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0008614 entitled “A/V steam intermediating system that intermediates an A/V stream of a data network to an IEEE 1394 network and method thereof” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
According to this disclosed system and method, however, only an MPEG-2 transport stream can be supported in the IEEE 1394 network. In the case of providing a broadcasting stream from a media server connected to an IP-based data network to a display device connected to the IEEE 1394 network, the broadcasting stream requires display in real time even in the IEEE 1394 network, and thus a viewer cannot view the broadcasting stream through a device connected to the IEEE 1394 network at a desired time other than in real time. In addition, different user interfaces must be used to control the media server and transcoder, and this causes inconvenience to users.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved system and method for intermediating an A/V stream between a data network and an IEEE 1394 network.